Remembrance (a companion to Choosing to Leave)
by trontroy
Summary: This is a companion story to Choosing to Leave and is written from Erik/Magneto's point of view about how he had felt during the time when he had met Charissa and follows, more or less, the timeline in Choosing to Leave. Many thanks to those who had reviewed Choosing to Leave. (Set during DOFP, includes spoilers, and includes some reminiscing that would involve the XMFC timeline.)
1. Chapter 1

**_Fifty years into the future (around 2023), during the war with the Sentinels_**

He looked at Charles as Logan volunteered to go back to the past to attempt to change their bleak future.

"You'll need me as well." He started to say to Logan, who was taken aback.

"What?"

"And not just me, but Charles' sister, Charissa too…. After Mystique left Charles she came with me and I set her on a dangerous path, a darker path. Charissa also joined us subsequently. It's going to take the three of us, Charles, Charissa and I, side by side at a time when we couldn't be further apart. Charissa has always been close to Mystique so she may be able to persuade her and stop the assassination. In addition, and you must promise me not to tell our younger selves about this additional purpose, Charissa will be able to stop my younger self from being too stubborn and headstrong in your mission. She's always had a way in reining me back."

Logan raised his eyebrows and looked at Charles then who only nodded in agreement.

"Great. So where do I find you and Charissa? What the hell happened to her anyway? I've only seen her in photographs in the Professor's room."

"Well, it's complicated. Charissa was captured by Trask in 1963 and experimented on for more than a decade. She survived the experiments because she has rapid healing abilities like you as well. All her memories, which included the use of her telekinesis powers, were wiped out by Trask. After Mystique kills Trask, she is also taken to the same labs where Charissa had been held captive and both of them eventually escape. Charles manages to heal her mind, but Charissa couldn't handle the stress and depression which returned with her memories, and so, she runs away again. I tried to help her as best as possible, but fail. Charles and I do not know where she is now. We never manage to find her again. As for myself, I was in a glass and concrete prison under the Pentagon in 1973. If I wasn't incarcerated, I would have rescued Charissa myself."

Logan suddenly looked interested in what he was saying and asked again, not caring if it sounded straightforward, "Was she like your girlfriend or something?"

He refused to show Logan his true feelings towards her, and only replied with a straight face, "I cared for her back then. Now that you know about this, you can use this to your advantage when you meet my younger self." He hated it that he was also starting to use her as leverage against himself, but unfortunately, it would be necessary if they wished to change their future.

He needed to help her in whatever way he could, and he knew his younger self well. If he was freed by Charles and Logan from his glass-cell, he would want to rescue Charissa immediately as well, and wouldn't listen to a word about anything else if he knew that she remained in the labs for another day.

Logan didn't have to know why she chose to run away again, and Charles had been discrete about telling anyone else about his sister and her personal problems. If anyone else knew, it would be Hank, but Hank was long gone, killed brutally in their fight against the Sentinels.

He wondered if the Sentinels had gotten her as well, and if they did, he only hoped for her sake that her death was swift.

He remembered the vacant look in her eyes when he finally saw her again, when she was recovering at the mansion after Mystique and she escaped from the labs. The empty calm blue in her eyes had reminded him of a lake he had seen in Austria. He nearly broke down in front of all of them, but thankfully managed to compose himself. Only Charles could sense his pain and had tactfully refrained from commenting. He visited her nearly every day while she was undergoing therapy with Charles.

At first, she would smile warmly whenever she saw him. But as her memories returned, she acted colder and colder towards him.

"Why do you come here every day?"

"I want to see you recover."

"I will never recover fully. It's not just my mind that's broken." She said bitterly. "Please just leave me alone. Go away Erik. It hurts to remember you."

"I made a promise to you once, to never let you be alone."

"I won't hold it against you for breaking that promise. I am happier without you. What's your purpose in being nice to me now anyway? You want me to go back to you, and then suffer and run away again because of your war? I feel very tortured every bloody day. It kills me inside to share the same thoughts as you now. I hate the people who did this to me and I hate it that I'd lost more than ten years of my life trapped in a shell of a body and mind. But at the same time, I do not wish to turn into you. I want to hate you for sharing your vision with me, and for being right about humanity. Unfortunately I am unable to feel that way."

He didn't know what to say to her then, and took some time to reply, "I'm sorry about everything, and for not being able to protect you. Please let me make it up to you now. Do you also remember what happened to our baby?"

"The baby is dead. Please stop asking me about this. Just go. You don't need to do anything else for me." She replied flatly and emotionlessly, and looked away from him.

He left but returned the next day and she still refused to speak with him. He felt hurt by her actions and she behaved the same way for a whole week, until one day, he received news from Charles that she had left in the middle of the night. She had learnt how to reinstate the mind shields in her head and so Charles could not locate her even with the aid of Cerebro.

He also tried searching for her, but never succeeded and so only set out to do what he thought was the best for her and in such circumstances, to achieve his goal of establishing mutant supremacy in the world.

Thinking back about that moment in time never failed to upset him, even though it all happened a long time ago.

He looked back at Logan again, who was lying on a slab and Kitty had just finished explaining to Logan what would happen in the time travelling process.

He couldn't help but question Charles, "Do you really think this will work?"

Charles replied confidently, "I have faith in him."

"It's not him that I'm worried about, it's us. We were young. We didn't know any better."

"We will now. And there's Charissa as well. She will be able to assist Logan."

"Will she trust us without her memories?"

"She will trust me at the very least. And she would understand why the future has to be changed. In that light, she would be able to stop you as well from making impulsive and dangerous decisions."

He nodded in agreement, and thought again about how much he missed her all these years, as he watched Logan scream before entering into a state of unconsciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

_**1965, In a white empty concrete cell beneath the Pentagon**_

A year had passed since his imprisonment for his involvement in the assassination of JFK. The humans finally wised up and found a cell that could contain him safely. He laughed to himself as he recalled the amount of damage he had caused with the metal bars when they first imprisoned him. It took several tries before they found the perfect prison for Magneto.

Alone in that cell, he tried meditating but again was flooded with memories of his earlier time with her.

Giving up on meditation, he lay down on the mattress on the floor and thought back to the time when he first met her.

_"This is my sister Charissa. She will be helping you all settle in and will show you to your rooms as well. We hope that you will all treat this as your own home and make yourself comfortable."_

Charles' voice kept echoing in his mind as he reminisced about his first day at the Xavier mansion. He wasn't paying much attention to Charles or Charissa then because he was too distracted by the building in front of him.

He remembered looking at the huge mansion, slightly in awe at its mammoth size but not exactly surprised that his new friend was rich. At that point, he couldn't help but quip, "Honestly Charles, I don't know how you survived. Living in such hardship."

It was at that moment that he really noticed Charles' sister Charissa. Her eyes had narrowed slightly at his comment, while the stony expression on her face remained unchanged. Her light brown hair had been tied back into a ponytail and she was wearing a pale blue dress which seemed to bring out the blueness of her eyes. He couldn't help but be drawn to those eyes. There was a fire inside of them which contrasted against the soft petite features on her face. Besides her eye colour and possibly the shape of her face, he couldn't see any family resemblance between Charles and her. Her eyes were slightly bigger than Charles' and lips were fuller. If anything, she bore slightly more family resemblance to Raven with the exception of their hair colour. He supposed Raven took on a human form that was a subtle mixture of Charissa and Charles, so nobody would doubt their genetic relations.

The only woman that he had ever been close to was Magda, his late wife who died young and he couldn't help but compare Charissa and her somehow. They didn't look alike in any way; Magda looked the way she was, warm, caring and simple, whereas Charissa had a proud and yet ethereal air about her, and something else which told him that she had a stubborn streak hidden inside.

Looking again at her and trying to glean clues from her appearance which included her slender frame, he wondered what her special ability or mutation was. Charles hadn't mentioned and she didn't look like she was going to say much or anything if she could help it. In fact, she looked as though she was hoping that they wouldn't make themselves too comfortable at the mansion.

While he looked at her from where he stood, Raven made a joke out of his comment by saying that it was a hardship softened by her and Charissa. He had to laugh at that with the rest.

Charissa then walked over and shook his hand, and he took that opportunity to really look into her eyes to try and figure out what it was that he found intriguing. He knew that she was simply being polite when she said that she was pleased to meet him and he felt amused by the falseness of her statement. Her hand was warm but because he was trying to figure out her ability by looking at her (which he later thought was rather stupid), he held onto it for an awfully longer time than the rest, and which he realised made her uncomfortable.

Thankfully Charles broke the tension by telling them all to go inside for a proper tour of the mansion.

Inside the mansion, Charissa showed them a whole stack of lists that she had made up, including rosters of house duties delegated to them, before bringing them to their bedrooms.

He was left alone to settle into his bedroom and after unpacking what little he had brought with him, he decided to tour the house again on his own. He liked the library and the books that were stocked therein, and picked out a few to read at his leisure. He then went outside to look at the gardens and found a quaint little gazebo, which he thought would be an excellent place to read or meditate at alone. He doubted the other boys would go there, so it could be a good place of solitude in the evenings.

Before long, it was time for dinner and he was pleasantly surprised to find himself enjoying the boisterous company of his new friends at the dining table. The boys generally liked to talk about sports and other mischievous shenanigans that they had been up to in the past. Charles would talk about university days and sometimes go off tangent to discuss genetics with Hank. Raven would add a few comments and anecdotes about what she and Charles had seen at Oxford, but Charissa, still feeling out of place amongst the strangers, would simply sit quietly at her end of the table, and pick at her food. He observed her again and noticed that she was looking down at her lap now and then when the others were engrossed with table talk. He then saw that she was reading something, obviously not caring if that was rude but at the same time trying her best not to be caught. He could only imagine that she wasn't too keen on Charles lecturing her about table manners. Charles talked down to her like a parent and he could tell that she was not fond of that. She seemed close to Raven however and Raven tried hard to include her sister into their conversations.

After dinner, he skimmed through the duty rosters again that were pinned outside the dining room and noted that he had been assigned dish washing duty the next day with Charissa. He thought of trying to ask her about her powers then.

Unfortunately for him, while washing dishes together in the kitchen, it was very apparent that Charissa was not keen on being in the same room as him. She looked like she wished she was elsewhere and in spite of that, he made some effort to ask the burning question on his mind.

Her replies threw him off because they were blatantly honest, and what she subsequently said about how they did not have to like each other but just had to get along for her brother's sake made him decide that he liked her forthrightness and honesty. He chuckled a little at her last remark before replying, "Maybe that's your ability, being able to have a response to everything."

"Looks like you can add that to your gifts as well." She had retorted with a smirk and he could feel the ice between the two of them dissipating at that moment.

Charles then interrupted the two of them by asking, "Erik, how about a game of chess in the living room? Are you finished with the dishes?"

She had glanced over her shoulder at her brother and said with traces of irritation in her voice, "We're nearly done but if you really can't wait, you can have him now. I can finish the last bit on my own."

Charles also looked annoyed with his sister's attitude but refrained from fighting with her in front of him.

"He'll wait." He offered on Charles' behalf, attempting to be the peacemaker between the two siblings.

After he finished his chess game with Charles, he saw her sitting in the library with her nose in a book again. He could tell that reading was her favourite past time and was tempted to chat with her about what she was reading, but decided to go to bed instead because of the time. She was very preoccupied and did not look up even though his footsteps were deliberately heavy. He thought it was best to just leave things as that. He might end up spouting rubbish to her in his state of sleepiness.

Interactions with her were more pleasant the subsequent days because she had classified him as a being that was more interesting and significant than an insect. She actually smiled back at him and it was a genuine smile, and instead of rolling her eyes like she did in the past, she would have a smartass retort to everything that he said when they were with the rest of the group. He knew it was the little conversation that they had in the kitchen that day which made her change her mind about him. He found himself attracted to her in a strange way, and he wanted to speak more with her.

He couldn't help but smile as he thought back about those days. He then opened his eyes and looked up at the glass ceiling of his prison. What he would give to see her again…


	3. Chapter 3

_**1973, In a white empty concrete cell beneath the Pentagon**_

There was absolutely nothing to do in his cell to while the time away besides meditating and thinking. In addition to planning what he would do when he got out of prison, he also thought about their entire relationship starting from the first few days and all the way to the present day. He disliked how thinking about her always made him impulsive, and how it has become instinctive in the way that his sole objective seemed to be to want to protect her. She was right to tell him off previously that he should stop treating her like a child. Now, he started to wonder if love had made him weak, and distracted.

He also wondered if things would have turned out differently if she hadn't run away from the Brotherhood homebase ten years ago. She was pregnant then and could have talked him out of that mission to save the President. She should also have given birth by November 1963 and he wouldn't miss the birth of his own child for anything, not even to save another mutant's life. Perhaps he would have tasked his other team mates for that operation instead. Perhaps he would not even bother. He disliked thinking about the endless possibilities and an alternative future, but there was really nothing else to do in the prison cell. Unfortunately, those types of thoughts only added to his frustration.

He was really depending on Charles to rescue her from wherever she was. It was dreadful to think about what they were possibly doing with her and with their child. Hopefully, their child had her abilities to heal fast; otherwise, he/she would not survive the ordeal.

Besides being filled with hatred for the people who had done this to them, he also felt disappointed with himself at not being able to keep his promise to her, to protect her and their child. He only had himself to blame for not trying harder to look for her the moment he found her farewell note and realised that she was gone. Upon reading the note, he had flared up as usual, wrecked the bedroom in his despair, but quickly moved on to go ahead with his usual business, to attempt to create the mutant utopia that he preached to his followers. It disgusted him now that he only took a day to search for her before giving up completely. His excuse back then was that she was stubborn like him, and if she did not want to be found, he would only be wasting his time to even search for her.

He remembered seeing Charles' psychic image in his cell six months after he had been imprisoned and having a horrible sinking feeling in his stomach as he imagined the purpose of Charles' visit even before Charles had told him.

It also didn't help at all that Charles had looked extremely tortured and desperate then, and had quickly asked him if he knew who had kidnapped Charissa.

"She's been captured?" he had asked Charles with a raspy voice, as he felt the rage inside of him build up. If only he had just a tiny piece of metal.

"I received her call for help a few days ago. She had managed to use her telekinesis to project a message to me. I tried using Cerebro to look but I can't find her at all. I then thought of speaking with you, in case you could think of a few possibilities? Enemies perhaps who knew of her existence?"

"You should know that my only enemies are the humans in general. Get Mystique to help. She may be able to track down a few possibilities. The humans must have Charissa and possibly for research purposes. You must help her Charles." He hated the fact that he sounded as though he was begging but he had no choice. He was useless to her because of his own situation.

"I'll try my best. Thank you Erik." And Charles' image disappeared.

He never saw Charles again and everyday he could only think of her and hope for the best. It made him angrier and increased his fury towards humanity. He imagined himself killing the kidnappers, torturing them as painfully as he could, and then doing the same to whomever else who had hurt her and their child. But he remembered what she said before when he told her about his plans to kill Shaw. Would that be enough for him? Would it all be anti-climatic in the end, and would he be satisfied? Especially when all he had left may be her cold lifeless body.

He closed his eyes again and tried not to dwell on dark thoughts. It would be lunchtime soon, and later dinner, and another day would have passed.

Suddenly he heard a clatter on the floor as the plastic lunch tray was dropped from a slot in the ceiling. He opened his eyes and saw a note inside the tray saying, "Mind the glass". Looking up at the ceiling, he saw the face of a young impish looking teenager dressed in a security guard's outfit, smiling widely at him.

What did that boy intend to do? He couldn't help but be curious and yet slightly suspicious as well.

The boy's hands were on the glass ceiling and he wasn't sure what exactly that he was doing but the ceiling started vibrating rapidly and cracked extremely quickly. He cowered down at that moment, taking heed of what the boy had warned him to do earlier via the note in his lunch tray.

Freedom?

He pulled himself up and out through the ceiling and hoped that the boy had a fool-proof escape plan.

"In three seconds those doors are going to open and twenty guards will be here to shoot us." He warned.

The boy came up behind him and held onto his neck, saying, "I know, that's what I'm waiting for."

He was surprised by the action, "What are you doing?"

"I'm holding your neck so you don't get whiplash."

"What?"

"Whip... lash." The boy repeated with deliberate exaggeration.

Just then, the guards showed up pointing their guns at them, and yelled, "Don't move!"

What happened felt like a blur to him. He felt the boy move him extremely quickly and they slipped past the guards, into the elevator. He felt sick and wasn't sure what to do except to look at the boy who had changed back into his own clothes. There was a guard duct-taped to the wall in the elevator as well.

"You're good, it'll pass. It happens with everyone." The boy assured him. "Must have done something pretty serious. What'd you do, man? What'd you do? What'd you do? Why did they have you in there?" The boy kept asking in a hurried manner.

He replied bluntly, "For killing the president."

"Oh."

"The only thing I'm guilty of is fighting for people like us."

"You take karate? You know karate, man?"

"I don't know karate, but I know crazy."

The boy laughed and continued, "They told me you control metal."

"They?"

"You know, my mom once knew a guy who could do that."

He froze for a split second, thinking about whether he knew the teenage boy's mother, and at that moment, the elevator doors opened and he came face to face with Charles.

"Charles?"

Charles punched him in the face with anger.

"Good to see you too, old friend, and walking." He said, while rubbing his face, at the spot where Charles had just punched.

"No thanks to you." Charles still looked angry.

"You're the last person in the world I expected to see today."

"Believe me, I wouldn't be here if I didn't have to. If we get you out of here, we do it my way, no killing."

He smiled at that. Charles had not changed one bit, and not even in spite of his scruffy appearance. "No helmet. I couldn't disobey you even if I wanted."

"I'm never getting inside of that head again. I need your word, Erik."

He nodded. Finally, he was going to be free, and Charles was helping him out. He wouldn't argue with Charles at a time like that.


	4. Chapter 4

Before they could leave, six armed guards stormed into the kitchen and aimed their guns at them.

"Nobody move! Hold it right there!"

He looked at Charles and expected him to use his powers like what he used to do in the past. But Charles simply stared back at the men.

"Charles?" he said when nothing happened.

Another guard yelled, "Don't move! Hands up or we will shoot!"

He spoke to Charles again, "Freeze them, Charles!"

"I can't."

Promise or no promise, he used his own power at that point to manipulate the metal objects in the kitchen. He wasn't about to be shot by the humans, not now when he was about to escape from his prison and look for her.

Charles yelled, "No!" and he heard the sound of gunshots and then within the next few seconds, he saw the guards knocking themselves out and the bullets hitting the back of the wall instead.

It must be the work of the fast mutant boy who had rescued him earlier.

The brawny gruff man who had accompanied Charles thanked the boy as they left the kitchen unscathed.

They brought him to a car that was parked outside and he saw Hank sitting at the driver's seat, looking normal instead of the furry blue beast that he thought Hank had mutated to. Charles then sat next to Hank and he found himself in the back seat with the gruff man and the boy who he found was named Peter.

"We'll be dropping Peter off now and after that we're going to rescue Charissa. She's being held at a research facility several miles from here. The man sitting next to you is named Logan." Charles said emphatically to him, but without making any eye contact.

He looked at Logan then, and asked, "Where did they dig you up?"

Logan replied, "You're gonna find this hard to believe, but uh...you sent me. You and Charles, from the future."

He felt instant scepticism, but quickly decided that if Charles believed this person, then Logan was possibly telling the truth and wasn't a nut job. Charles was not all that gullible even though he didn't seem to have control of his powers at the moment for whatever reason.

Logan also started to explain to him what happens to all of them fifty years from now and he felt strangely satisfied that his assessment of humanity had not been wrong. The humans obviously feared their kind and would wipe them out at the first chance possible. What he had not expected was that Mystique's DNA would be the weapon against mutants.

"What happens to Charissa in the future?" He knew he shouldn't be asking but he wanted to know.

"Nobody knows. You told me that after Mystique was captured for testing, she ends up in the same labs as Charissa, and they both escape. They go back to the X-mansion, and Charissa runs away subsequently again. You didn't tell me why, and neither did Charles. You just said that we need all three of you to stop Mystique from killing Trask. To be honest, I don't really know what Charissa looks like except for the pictures that I've seen in Charles' study."

He nodded at that piece of information but felt crushed inside. In that bleak future where Logan was from, he still manages to chase her away. He wasn't surprised that his future self had not shared much of that with Logan. It wasn't something to be proud of.

He changed the subject then, "What's your mutant ability?"

"I heal fast, and I have these." Logan said as bone claws extended from his knuckles.

"Imagine if they were metal." He couldn't help but say, and he saw Charles rolling his eyes at that remark.

"When we get to the research facility, you can use your power to get us to Charissa. But you cannot kill anyone, even when you see her or if she's being tortured at that very minute when we barge in. If you do, the three of us will haul you back to prison."

"All right."

He did not wish to say much to Charles at this point, his thoughts were only on her. She was still alive, so that was a consolation. He wanted to get her out quick and listened carefully to the way Logan described the facility and how they would get inside for her.

They reached the premises fairly quickly and it wasn't heavily guarded so they could walk in very easily. Obviously, nobody expected anyone else to rescue Charissa. Logan and Hank (who had changed into Beast) punched a few security guards, and he used his own powers to lock the other scientists into a room. As a result, and again rather quickly, they reached a sterile looking corridor which Charles said would lead to Charissa's room.

Logan knocked the security outside her room door unconsciousness, and he used his power to open her door.

She was in the room, sitting on the bed and reading a book.

He felt a sense of déjà vu wash over him as he walked into the room. Her expression and smile on her face, was similar to when he first met her. Nose buried in a book, intently reading and taking in each word on the page, and smiling unknowingly whenever she read something she liked. Beautiful words and well-composed literature had always been her passion.

Her light brown hair still long and flowing down her back, looked well-trimmed, and she looked thinner and paler than he last remembered her. The only thing which affected and even upset him was the empty vacant look in her eyes as she glanced up at them, and asked in a surprised tone, "Who are you?"

Charles also teared slightly at the sight of her, and said, "I'm sorry for not being able to rescue you when I first heard your cries for help Charissa. I tried my best but I could not locate you."

He felt angered at the thought of what the humans had been doing to her for the past decade and asked, "Did they hurt you? And what about the baby?"

Charles looked surprised at the mention of the word "baby".

Again his heart broke when she stared back vacantly, asking, "I'm sorry but do I know you? I think you've gotten the wrong person. My name is Clarice, not Charissa."

"What's wrong with her Charles?" he asked hoping that Charles had an explanation for this.

"I'm not sure, she seems to be suffering from a form of amnesia."

Logan suddenly interjected, "Let's just get her out of here. This place gives me the creeps. Beast is waiting for us at the end of the corridor."

"Did Dr Trask send you to bring me to the testing lab?" she asked innocently.

At the mention of Trask, he felt intense anger, and wanted to kill the man if he saw him then.

"They've brainwashed her. I'll kill them for this."

He regretted his words immediately when he saw how alarmed and frightened of him she looked.

"Do not speak Erik. Clarice, my name is Charles and I would need you to follow us quietly outside ok? We have to take a plane, and I will explain more when we get to the plane." Charles shushed him and spoke very gently to Charissa.

It worked; she calmed down instantly and let her brother lead her outside of the room.


	5. Chapter 5

Hank drove them to a private jet and he saw Charles hold his sister's hand as he led her to a seat. She looked tired and frail, and it made him yearn to break the necks of her kidnappers again.

While the plane was in the air, he could not help but question Charles about how he had lost his telepathic powers.

Feeling himself getting irked when Charles explained the use of spinal medication tempering with his DNA, he voiced out his disbelief that Charles had deliberately sacrificed his powers just to be able to walk. Deep inside, he knew that that accusation was uncalled for, but he was extremely displeased and disappointed that Charles had also given up on helping Charissa ten years ago. And as a result of his actions, not only did she lose her memory, she was being experimented on for purposes which may be used against their kind as well.

It incensed him when Charles started accusing him of shedding crocodile tears and for being useless to Charissa because of his own doing.

"You have no idea what I have done." He replied in a low and dangerous voice.

"I know that you took the things that mean the most to me." Charles raised his voice then.

"Maybe you should have fought harder for them!" he countered.

"If it's a fight you want Erik, I will give you a fight."

Fine. Come and get me, show me how you fight, he thought sinisterly.

Charles pounced on him and grabbed him by his shirt shouting, "You abandoned me! You took both my sisters away and you abandoned me!"

Abandonment? Is this what it had all been about for you Charles, acting like a rich spoilt brat and feeling sorry for yourself all these past ten years! What do you know about abandonment?! He thought to himself as he felt his rage build up within him.

"Angel, Azazel, Emma, Banshee. Mutant brothers and sisters… all dead! Countless others have been experimented on, butchered! If not for her powers, your own sister would have been dead as well. Where were you, Charles?! We were supposed to protect them! Where were you when your own people and your sister needed you? Hiding! You and Hank, pretending to be something you're not! You abandoned us all!"

Charissa's screams precipitously interrupted his thoughts, and he then realised that his anger (and powers) had caused the plane to decompress. He calmed down instantly, for her sake, and the plane stabilised. Hank was glaring at him from the cockpit as well, and Charles only looked at him with disgust.

Charles went towards Charissa and apologised for their behaviour.

He also started to walk towards her but Charles stopped him by saying that he was not a calming influence at that moment.

He obliged, and only for her sake. Instead, he went to sit near Logan who was also frowning at him.

"I take it we're best buddies in the future."

Logan laughed dryly and replied, "I spent a lot of years trying to bring you down, bub."

"How's that work out for you?"

"You're like me, you're a survivor."

Not really knowing what to say to that, he merely looked at Logan intently who then said, motioning to the things that had fallen onto the floor because of his earlier manifestation of powers, "Wanna pick all that shit up?"

He did as he was told, using his powers, and could hear Charles trying to explain the situation as patiently as possible to Charissa. Charles was holding onto her hand and he wished that he were the one who was doing that.

Damn his blind rage. Charles had been right about him not being a calming influence, and he knew he should keep it all under control, especially at a time like this when her mind and emotions were at their frailest.

He subsequently heard her asking Charles about him, whether he was their brother as well.

Charles was taken aback and tried his best to answer that question. Because Charles was unable to describe his relationship with her, he interrupted them by telling her that he was her husband and father of her child.

"We were married?" she asked in surprise.

Charles looked annoyed at being interrupted and possibly at the lie about him being her husband.

He then tried to explain himself further, "We were about to be married. Can you remember anything about our baby?"

She did not unfortunately and her reply really upset him to the extent that he felt lost, which was an uncommon feeling for him. He could also feel traces of his powers reaching out from him at that moment. It crushed the metal flask in front of them, and again he felt remorseful at seeing her jump with fright.

"Erik, please control your anger. You're not making this any easier for Charissa." Charles pleaded and he could hear Logan at the back muttering, "So you've always been an asshole."

He requested Charles to let him speak with Charissa alone and Charles obliged after getting her agreement.

After Charles had walked to the cockpit, he took her warm hand in his and spoke softly to her in German. She seemed to remember the language and listened intently to what he said about their past. Unfortunately, she still could not remember a thing about their child, and was extremely concerned that they had abandoned a young child for ten years.

He embraced her in attempt to try to console her about the lost memory of their child, and also to remember what it felt to be close to her again. While he thought that she appeared to understand the fact that he cared for her a great deal, he also sensed she was having some difficulty in trying to figure out why she had run away from him to begin with.

Feeling very drained from all the information that everyone was filling her with, she then went to sleep subsequently.

While she slept, he decided to make peace with his old friend. He picked up a chess set and walked towards Charles.

"Fancy a game? It's been a while."

"I'm not in the mood for games, thank you." Charles replied, cold but polite.

He could feel Logan's heavy-lidded eyes on them as he reached out to pour himself a glass of whiskey.

"I haven't had a real sip in ten years."

Charles only looked at him unsympathetically. He could guess what was on Charles' mind and then tried explaining himself, "I didn't kill the president."

"The bullet curved, Erik."

"Because I was trying to save him. They took me out before I could."

"Why would you try and save him?" Charles asked with great disbelief.

"Because he was one of us."

That news really surprised his friend.

"You must think me so foolish. You've always said they would come after us."

Finally, Charles was acknowledging that he had been right about the humans all this while.

Instead of gloating, he found himself saying, "I never imagined they'd use Raven's DNA to do it." He used Raven's former name only because Charles did not seem to want to acknowledge that she now preferred Mystique.

"When did you last see her?"

"The day I left for Dallas." He said as he took the seat opposite Charles.

"And how was she?"

"Strong, driven, loyal."

"How...how was she after she found out about Charissa's departure?"

"She was...we were..." he paused before continuing, "we were both upset that Charissa disappeared without a trace. Raven also said that she would continue her search for Charissa even though I had given up. You should be proud of her, Charles. She's out there fighting for our cause."

"Your cause. The girl I raised, she was not capable of killing."

"You didn't raise her, you grew up with her. She couldn't stay a little girl forever, that's why she left. That's precisely the same reason why Charissa also left you. You treated the both of them like they were your children."

"They left because you got inside both their heads."

"That's not my power. They both made a choice. You know that, they both consulted you as well before leaving."

"But now we know where that choice leads, don't we? Charissa had left you and is now in this amnesiac state. Raven's going to murder Trask, they're going to capture her, and then they're going to wipe us out."

"Not if we get to her first. Not if we change history tomorrow." He said with confidence, before continuing, "I'm sorry, Charles, for what happened, I truly am."

Charles looked at him with tears in his eyes. Charles then finished his drink and looked down at the chess set.

"It's been a while since I've played."

He smiled and joked lightly, "I'll go easy on you. Might finally be a fair fight."

"You have the first move."

He looked down and moved a chess piece using his power.


	6. Chapter 6

After the chess game, he went to rest at the seat opposite hers. He had closed his eyes for not longer than an hour before he felt someone watching him.

Opening his eyes, he saw her blushing and smiled back at her. She looked a lot better with colour in her cheeks.

"I'm sorry." She started to apologise.

"You didn't wake me. I don't sleep well on planes. How are you feeling?"

They talked a little about how and why Logan was sent back to the past by his and Charles' future selves. He also tried explaining to her why his future self had prompted Logan to rescue her in spite of knowing that she had lost her telekinesis as a result of the experimentation. He wasn't entirely convinced of his own justification, but wanted to soothe her nerves as best as possible. It seemed too simplistic that Charissa's role was merely to talk sense to Mystique.

They soon reached a hotel in Paris where the Peace Accords was held.

Mystique was on the table in a room, convulsing because of an electrical current that was attached to her. He felt disgust for Trask and his aide for using such methods to hold her down, and immediately used his powers to move the electrical wires to attack Mystique's attacker instead. Charissa then ran towards her adopted sister to ask if she was feeling ok.

A thought crossed his mind and he quickly grabbed hold of the gun that was on the table. He had to act fast, to secure their future.

He aimed the weapon at Mystique and Charles asked him in a shaky voice, "Erik what are you doing?"

"Securing our future. Forgive me, Mystique. As long as you're out there we'll never be safe."

He could see the panic in her eyes as she begged Charles to stop him.

"Use your powers, Charles, stop him."

"He can't," he replied on Charles' behalf as he continued holding onto the gun.

Charissa then impulsively stepped in front of Mystique, to shield her.

"Charissa, get out of the way," he commanded.

"No Erik. This is not the way to change the future." She pleaded.

It then dawned on him why Charles and Logan had brought her along for this mission. "You can't stop me. Charles has always been using you to stop me. I now understand your role here today." He snarled and fired the shot even though Hank had grabbed him.

Using his powers, he made the bullet curve past Charissa but Mystique had run off at that point and jumped out of the window. After he had pushed Hank away from him, he quickly levitated out in pursuit of Mystique and found her hobbling off disguised as one of the passers-by. Focusing his powers on the metal bullet that was already inside one of her legs, he dragged her towards him but his second attempt on her life was foiled when Hank (who had turned into Beast) jumped onto him.

The battle with Beast was more difficult that he would have imagined. Beast tried to drown him in the fountain next to the building and he only survived when he used the metal bars nearby to grab hold of the creature. He idly wondered if Beast was fully aware of his actions and had intended to really kill him. Perhaps the Beast was acting purely on instincts.

Walking away, he tried to see if he could locate Mystique in the crowd of people running away.

Unfortunately, he was unable to differentiate human from the injured mutant, and so he went into a nearby hotel to recuperate and strategise his next steps. His head was bleeding badly from the blows dealt to him and he needed stitches. Using a needle and thread that he had found in the hotel room, he started to mend his own wound while looking through some blueprints to the Sentinel project that he had taken from Trask earlier. He needed to sabotage and control the robots somehow. He felt slight dismay as he saw on television, news footage of some scientists finding Mystique's blood on the street and taking samples.

While making his plans, he again thought about Charissa and wished he had brought her along with him. Without his powers, Charles was just an ordinary person and not in any way capable of protecting his sister. Moreover, it irked him greatly that again she was being used by Charles to control and even rein him in.

He decided to return to the United States that evening, to carry out his next steps and to hopefully see her as well. As he went to take the metro to the airport, he passed an old man begging and the beggar suddenly grabbed and dragged him into a phone booth before transforming back into Mystique.

She held a glass blade against his neck and threatened, "If I see so much as a screw, I will jam this into your throat."

"How did you find me?"

"You taught me well."

"It's been a long time since we were together with the rest of the Brotherhood. Don't you miss those days?" he said with a charming smile as he tried to appeal to the sympathetic and nostalgic side of her.

"You tried to kill me, and in front of Charissa." She said indignantly.

"So the rest of us could live."

"What do you mean?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

"We received a message from the future."

"Don't lie to me." She hissed at him.

"I never have and I never will." He replied firmly.

"Humans use your blood, your genes to create a weapon that wipes us all out. I was only doing what I thought necessary to secure our future." He tried explaining to her.

"So what's to stop me from killing you right now and securing my future?"

"Nothing. It doesn't matter anymore, they have your DNA. Your blood was on the street."

"Whose fault was that?"

"Mine." He admitted. "I've seen their plans. They're creating a weapon and now they have what they need to take it further. We have to strike now, while we still hold the upper hand."

"I've seen too many friends die, Erik, and my own sister captured and tortured. I don't want a war. I only want the man who murdered and hurt them."

"This is war. What happened to you? Did you lose your way while I was gone? You've seen what humanity can do to us, and Charissa is living proof of that. She's been reduced to a ghost of her former self, with no access to her telekinetic powers. Who knows whether Trask and the government are also using her genes to create something to wipe us all out? Are you still Charles' Raven, or are you Mystique?"

"Trask is the enemy."

"Killing one man isn't enough."

"It never was for you. If you want Charissa to stay on with you this time, you should reflect on that. Goodbye, Erik."

She then turned and walked off, and he tried to follow her but only saw a sea of unfamiliar faces streaming into the metro station. Again, she had disappeared into the crowd, leaving with him her parting words which stung acutely.

He reminded himself again that he would not let Mystique use Charissa, like Charles had been using her, to affect _his_ mission. In any case, the objective of that mission was for Charissa's sake as well. If the future described by Logan was averted, she would be safe, and he would not let her out of his sight this time, even if it means having to restrain her in any way.

...

_A/N: Thanks for the review so far. Been trying to follow the DOFP segment of Choosing to Leave as best as possible and will be writing more to cover the major aspects of the timeline after Logan succeeds in his mission in DOFP, i.e. from 1973-2023. This part wasn't addressed in Choosing to Leave except for hints of it in Charles' dialogue in the Epilogue._


	7. Chapter 7

He paid a visit to Trask Industries as soon as he returned to the United States. After making the relevant tweaks to the Sentinel prototypes which were going to be used at the White House ceremony the next few days, he went back to the Pentagon to retrieve his anti-telepathy helmet.

His plans had been smooth sailing so far, but he feared that the next step in his plans may not be as effortless especially if Charles had regained his powers. He wasn't sure if Charissa or Logan had managed to persuade Charles to stop his spine medication by then. Hence, he opted to go to the Xavier mansion only with his helmet on and in the early hours of the day while it was still dark, when all were asleep so as to avoid fighting with any of them in the midst of getting Charissa out of the house.

He found her easily in her bedroom and startled her in her sleep. She wasn't keen to leave, as he had expected, so he had no choice but to use his powers on her.

Manipulating the metal in her room to bind her legs and arms, he carried her out of the premises. It wasn't easy to harden his heart towards her and resort to such means, but he rationalised that it was for her own good, and that she wasn't in the right frame of mind to make a decision on this.

She had screamed for Charles but by the time Charles and Hank managed to reach her room, they had levitated to a good distance away. He knew that Charles had indeed regained control of his powers when she and Charles had communicated briefly via telepathy on their way out. Whatever it was that she told Charles seemed to assure Charles that there was no need for a fight to return her to the mansion. Charles should know better that he would never hurt her.

Inside their dark looking hotel room, he couldn't help but scrutinise her every move, in case she decided to run away. It annoyed her somewhat and she articulated that there was no need to watch her like a hawk because she had no resources to escape.

He was irritated by her remark and explained why she needed his protection. The last ten years had not been easy for him, so all that he was currently doing was for her and her future.

Unfortunately, that was the straw which broke the camel's back because she argued back, "I may not remember the past, but I can still think straight. I've also been thinking that there has to be a good and valid reason to explain the very fact that I ran away from you, even though I told you I loved you and was pregnant with your baby. And I am guessing that the reason is to save our child and me from the path of destruction that you seem fond of walking on. So please do not tell me about how rotten your life had been the past ten years. I don't even have any memories of what happened before those ten years."

She went to bed after saying her piece, and he knew that she was incensed. Not knowing what else to do in those circumstances, he just sighed in defeat and went to rest as well.

He found her screaming aloud in her sleep shortly thereafter, and pulled her closer to him to calm her down. Thankfully she didn't pull away and being in his embrace did soothe her. He missed holding her.

"Don't leave me again." He whispered while kissing the back of her head.

She turned to face him and begged with tears in her eyes, "Please give up your vendetta Erik. I will stay with you always if you do."

While he was tempted to give in to her, he reminded himself not to lose sight of the bigger picture and abandon the war simply upon her request. He didn't know how to make her understand his position, so he merely sighed in frustration and kept silent.

She continued her persuasion, attempting to vocalise Logan's other aim in travelling back to the past, to change his and her future as well. On the plane to Paris he had told her that in Logan's future, she had disappeared after being rescued. Now, she was making the leap in her head that his future self must have hoped that that would be averted, by having Logan pass on the message to him in 1973.

He didn't think she was wrong to assume that, just that he had already made some of his own contingency plans to prevent her from running away again.

"Let's not discuss this anymore. We have a long day ahead tomorrow as well as a flight to catch. Goodnight." He told her stubbornly and she relented.

Daylight came quickly and he brought her (without any resistance on her part) to the airport, to fly to Washington D.C. He held onto her hand and deep inside him, he wished that they were there on happier terms but she seemed bent on defying him.

He also didn't know what to say to her, and started talking aloud instead, like an old fool. Indeed, love was making him behave very foolishly.

"If I told you to stay at a particular location and wait for me to return, would you attempt to leave instead?" he asked aloud before continuing, "I don't like to make you my prisoner, but you simply won't listen and understand how dangerous the situation really is for us. Look at what happened to you when you ran away from me the last time. If not for your abilities, you would be dead like the rest of our team."

"Stop treating me like a child." She retorted.

After they had checked into a hotel in Washington D.C., he endeavoured to be nicer towards her and asked if she was hungry. However, she still refused to make eye contact and rejected his attempt to make peace.

Feeling hurt, he lowered his pride then, to plead with her in his most gentle tone to stop fighting with him.

That worked. She asked whether they had fought often in the past and the conversation following that was better than earlier because he found himself being able to articulate his position. It wasn't so simple a matter, because by giving up the fight and letting the humans win, he would lose her as well.

She finally understood but still asked to go back to Charles. Not only could Charles help heal her mind with his powers back, but Charles could also protect and hide her if need be. At that moment, she only wanted peace in her life.

Peace. That was what she had told him more than a decade ago, when they lived together at the Brotherhood homebase. It was an odd feeling for him to hear those words again, as though she had not lost her memories.

She cleverly held onto his hand while speaking, so his temper would be controlled. He also managed to think rationally and agreed with her. She could go to Charles for help after he had finished with his matters in Washington D.C.

They had lunch and chatted about other various topics while eating. He wanted to enjoy her company without having to think about the future.…

They also went out for a walk thereafter, mainly because he needed to look around the area to prepare himself for the launch of the Sentinels the next day. Unfortunately, she developed a headache and he had to bring her back to their hotel room. It was obvious to him that the headaches were a result of Trask giving her electric shock treatments every afternoon while she in captivity.

Thinking about that incensed him. Tomorrow he would show them who the superior being was.

Sensing his fury, she tried to diffuse the situation by asking about how he had been rescued from the Pentagon by the rest.

His reply amused her, and she asked, "Do you think our child could be a mutant like us?"

He paused feeling poignant, which made her apologise.

"No need for apologies… If there's a need for that, I should be the one apologising. If I had taken more time to listen to your needs, if I could put aside my hate and anger back then, you wouldn't have left and we wouldn't be wondering whether our child had been born and where he is now. You told me that Hank had helped conduct a few tests on you, and he felt that there was a high chance the baby could be a mutant too."

At that point, she made him promise that if he ever found their child and their child was happy with his/her adopted family, he should leave things be and let the child to choose a path of his/her own.

It seemed fair so he agreed.

"Thank you Erik. I'm also sorry that you and I can't work things out…. Maybe when I remember my past, things may change between us."

"No it won't. You were right when you surmised that you had left me because I refused to give up my fight. And I'm sorry that I can't give that up. I do believe that if I do, all of us will be killed by humanity because they are afraid of us. You're too important to me, and even if it means not having you by my side, I'd rather have that than to know that you're being hurt."

She looked at him sympathetically at that moment, and embraced him, probably thinking that he would feel better. One thing led to another and he soon found himself in bed with her. For ten years, he had missed the touch and feel of her body against his. She seemed to remember her former feelings for him then, and even if she didn't, he wasn't perturbed by that and still confessed to her (at the end) that he loved her.


	8. Chapter 8

He looked at the syringe filled with sleep medication in his hand and thought back about the time spent with her the night before. It was as though they were making up for lost time as they reminisced about how they had met and he even told her that she was not impressed with him because of a callous comment he had made, as a joke, to her brother about their family wealth.

"You actually said that? I can't recall but from your own description, you do sound like an ass." She had said with a laugh. "And you probably thought I was a spoilt princess."

"You weren't exactly a spoilt princess. You were just irked at how Charles bossed you around the house especially when you had four more boys to take care of when we arrived." He replied with genuine amusement.

Their conversation ended with her telling him something which touched him greatly, and remembering those words now made him remorseful for what he planned to do to her.

"_Although I can't remember us together….I know you still care a lot for me, and I think I still care for you. I hope that you will be careful and not let hatred consume you Erik." _

He tried not to sigh out loud as he remembered the tone and sound of her voice as she said that. He then told himself that he must not be distracted by her again, and he should not let Charles manipulate him through her. There were more important things to be done, especially today.

Very swiftly, before he could talk himself out of what he had planned to do, he injected the syringe into her vein while she was in deep sleep and left the room quickly with his helmet and cape. He took another glance at her peaceful sleeping form and felt a tinge of sadness that this could be the last time he would be seeing her, especially if he intended to start the war against humanity this very day.

Brushing away his emotions, he set his mind to just get to the football stadium nearby. With all thoughts of her blocked from his mind and ignoring the groundskeeper that was nearby, he closed his eyes and focused on using his powers inside the football stadium. He heard the sound of concrete breaking and felt euphoria as he levitated into the air, with the entire football stadium.

Even with his concentration focused on the massive building, he made it to the White House rather quickly and he actually bristled with perverse satisfaction as he heard screams of fear from the humans while he let the stadium fall onto the ground, to form a barricade around the White House. The Sentinels were already being manipulated by his powers to attack everyone non-mutant on sight. He tried not to smile as he witnessed that part of his plans succeeding.

Charles had also been pinned down by falling debris, so he only had to contend with the other two foolish mutants who believed in Charles' cause.

Unfazed, he simply told the Sentinel nearest to Hank and Logan to do what it was made for.

Then he started feeling around for the heavy metal bunker which he was certain the President and his aides were hiding in.

He was rudely interrupted by Logan who started charging at him. Somehow Hank/Beast had distracted the Sentinel attacking them, leaving Logan free to attempt to stop him. He glared at Logan while he flung whatever debris (with metal in it) at him. The brawny mutant had gone into a strange berserker rage and kept punching the debris away until one finally hit him on the back and he fell.

With Logan on the ground, he only had to impale him with metal bars to further restrain the mutant. "Survive this", he told Logan sinisterly as he lifted Logan up into the air with his powers and flung Logan's body as far as he could.

Good riddance, he thought as he again focused on looking for the hidden underground bunker.

"Erik! Please stop!" he heard her scream towards him.

Ignoring her completely, he only thought silently, "I should have injected more sleep medication into your blood. I will not be side-tracked by you again."

Even with that reminder in his mind, he still could not help but look at her. He was worried about the danger that may be around her.

Obviously, she didn't seem to bother about her own safety and was running in his direction, not caring if there was any Sentinel nearby who would eliminate her.

Thankfully the only Sentinel programmed to fight mutants was still busy with Beast. He quickly acted to stop her from getting too close to him, by manipulating the metal beams in the debris nearest to her. The metal tentacles reached her and held her back.

"Stay away Charissa. It's too late for you to stop me." He growled.

He finally unearthed the bunker that the President and his aides had hidden in, aimed their guns back at them and spoke, with the video cameras facing him.

"You built these weapons to destroy us. Why? Because you are afraid of our gifts. Because we are different. Humanity has always feared that which is different. Well, I'm here to tell you, to tell the world, you're right to fear us. We are the future."

This speech was important and he wanted his broadcast to appeal to his fellow mutant brothers and sisters. He was prepared to start a new Brotherhood for them.

"We are the ones who will inherit this earth, and anyone who stands in our way will suffer the same fate as these men you see before you. Today was meant to be a display of your power. Instead I give you a glimpse of the devastation my race can unleash upon yours. Let this be a warning to the world. And to my mutant brothers and sisters out there, I say this; no more hiding, no more suffering. You have lived in the shadows in shame and fear for too long. Come out, join me. Fight together in the brotherhood of our kind. A new tomorrow, that starts today."

He watched the President step out and attempt, quite bravely he thought, to save the rest of the aides by offering his own life.

A Sentinel then stepped towards him, distracting him momentarily. He felt sharp pain in his neck when he turned to look at the Sentinel to prevent it from attacking him or Charissa who was just several feet away. The pain made him lose control of his powers and the guns which were aimed at the humans all dropped onto the ground.

He turned back and only saw Mystique holding onto a gun and looking back at him, where the President earlier stood.

"You used to be a better shot."

"Trust me I still am. If not for Charissa, it'd be your head," she replied as she kicked him in the face. He saw pitch darkness then.

He didn't know what transpired during the time when he was unconscious. He only woke up very suddenly, without his helmet on and with Charles' voice in his head, controlling his every action, including moving the debris away from Charles' body so Hank could help him up.

He was pleasantly surprised however to find Charissa next to him even while Charles was controlling his mind, but felt crushed when she told Charles, "No, I'll go back with you. He looks fine."

In a last ditch attempt to change her mind, he simply grabbed onto her hand with a pleading expression on his face. She shook her head, and said, "I'm sorry. I need to go home. You take care."

He nodded slightly, put on a stony expression and looked towards Charles, "You know I'm as good as dead if you leave me with them."

"I know Erik. Goodbye."

"Goodbye old friend." he said and then flew up into the air.

He didn't want to leave her, but he no longer wanted to force her to do something against her wishes. Missing her immensely, he watched her fade into the distance as he flew further away.


	9. Chapter 9

Thinking back about all the various times when he asked her to join him again in spite of the lapse of her memory, and her refusal each instance, made him wonder if he should have been more persistent or persuasive. He used to be able to say the right words to her to make her change her mind.

Why was this time was different though? Could it really be because he fully agreed with her that going home with Charles was better for her wellbeing?

Charissa had reasoned that she had to be with Charles for the sake of healing her mind and regaining control of her telekinesis. If not for that, he would have forced her to leave with him, and he would keep watch over her every day so she would not run away again. He hated to do that do her, but given that the last time she was alone she ended up incarcerated like him, it was for her own good. If Charles hadn't gained back his own power, she would be a sitting duck for the humans to capture and use again. He also wanted to avert the future indicated by Logan, the one where she disappears without a trace. With the knowledge that Charles also wished to forestall the same future and would take appropriate steps to prevent that, he felt more assured to concur with her decision.

Having left them all at Washington D.C., he had just found a new location for his Brotherhood and planned to start recruitment again. It was easier this time because of his public broadcast on the television a couple of days before. His team grew in numbers as the days passed and they soon started planning an attack on what remained of Trask Industries, to get all the files and research materials of the mutants and of her. He had an inkling that part of the reason why she chose to leave him again, was because she knew fully well that she would serve as a daily reminder to him that humanity was determined to eradicate them all. The humans, like Dr Trask, obviously had no qualms in using their kind for research purposes, to find a way to understand their genetic makeup before planning mass extermination.

The mission was accomplished easily, and he tried looking for clues as to whether Trask had captured their child as well. Unfortunately, the files did not shed any light on that, and it was possible that Trask did not even know about the baby back when Charissa was first brought to his labs. From the files, it appeared that she was brought to Trask Industries a few months after her estimated date of delivery. He would need to return to France then, where she lived after leaving him and the Brotherhood, to find out more about their child. Thus, he made some plans to visit Paris in the next few months after things were more settled at his new Brotherhood homebase.

The homebase was set up very much similar to the former one. It did make him feel slightly nostalgic about the past and he couldn't help but think of her every night before he went to bed. When two weeks had passed since Washington, he felt a strong urge to see her, to just tell her how he felt and how he was sorry for a lot of things that had passed between them. He also wanted to let her know about his mission involving Trask Industries as well.

As a result, he simply showed up in her bedroom in the middle of the night… However, he didn't manage to say his piece that night. She looked like she missed him a lot as well, and he was side-tracked by her again. He spent the night with her in her bed, but it felt as if time was going by too quickly. Waking up before she did the next day, he left her quietly, the same as he had done in Washington. It pained him to do that, but it was necessary. If he hung around any longer, he would be persuaded to stay, simply by looking at her. She looked peaceful in her sleep and he thought she looked happier than in a long while. He then made a vow to himself to not meet her again in that manner. Fighting on for mutant superiority meant that he could not have her in his life. Besides, with Charles now able to keep watch over her, he could devote all his time and energy on his own goals.

After a few months had lapsed, he arranged diplomatic meetings with Charles, not only to discuss mutant related issues but also to use that as an excuse to spy on her from afar. She looked well and he heard from Charles that she had regained all her memories and was in fact helping out at the mansion with the students that Charles had recruited. Hank, Charles and herself were the three main teachers of the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, and he felt slightly wistful that he was not part of her happier and peaceful life.

There were times when he wondered if she had moved on, and forgotten about him completely but his pride prevented him from asking Charles that question. Charles did however make it a point to let him know about her in every one of their meetings. He would only nod and thank Charles for the information. He knew that deep inside Charles was hoping that he would come around to their side, whether it was for concern over Charissa's wellbeing or because Charles still thought of him as a friend, he wasn't sure.

"She's outside my study now." Charles said to him quietly one day as they looked through a list of mutants whom they believed might require either party's protection.

He didn't know what to say to that. After a slight pause, he asked, "Does she wish to speak with you? I can leave now if she needs to discuss something with you."

Charles shook his head. "No. She's uncertain whether she wants to speak with _you._"

At that moment, he knew Charles was hoping that he would give in and see her.

"Well, let her deliberate on it first then. Shall we continue with our discussion?"

If Charles was exasperated with the two of them, his expression didn't give him away. They finished the meeting rather quickly and when he stepped out, she wasn't there and he felt relieved that she chose to walk away. He didn't know what he should say to her. A year had passed since he last met her, and although he had been looking at her from a distance all this while, he was afraid to speak with her.

In the past year he had also found their child Lorna, who was adopted by an American family of the surname Dane. He managed to trace Lorna through the Parisian hospital that Charissa had given birth in, under the pseudonym Clarice Delvaux. The records showed that a healthy baby girl had been born, with the name Lorna Delvaux and who was given up for adoption within a week after birth. Finding out the identity of Lorna's adopted family was slightly more complicated but he persisted and eventually found himself at their doorstop.

The house where the Danes resided was in a pleasant suburban neighbourhood in California. He could hear several children laughing in the backyard and so he merely levitated to a nearby tree and glanced over at them. He saw a young girl who looked about twelve and two boys slightly younger than her playing in a small swimming pool. The girl looked like the spitting image of Charissa, except that she had distinct green hair. He wondered if it was a result of her mutation, and again he thought about what powers she could possibly have.

"That's always been the burning question in your mind whenever you meet mutants", he thought to himself with a smile, especially when it brought back the memory of the day that he had met Charissa.

It was then that he recalled his promise to Charissa, and decided to leave Lorna and her home as soon as he could. Lorna looked happy, and her adopted parents were giving her a normal life even though they knew she was different. That was what Charissa had wanted, and he would respect that.

He was still lost in his thoughts reminiscing about that day, when Charles' voice interrupted him.

"Erik, do you wish to speak with Charissa?"

"No, it's clear that she's changed her mind about speaking to me, so there's no need for me to look for her."

"She still loves and cares for you a great deal. She told me," was all Charles said to him as they parted ways.

Those words haunted him even when he reached the Brotherhood homebase, and every night when he went to bed, he dreamt of her.


	10. Chapter 10

As a result of what Charles last told him, he found himself back at the Xavier School of Gifted Youngsters a fortnight later. He had actually considered thinking up an excuse to go there, but every possible reason that he came up with only sounded contrived. Charles would see through him easily, so he decided to just be candid and mention that he wished to see Charissa. Charles obliged him readily and without any further questions.

He found her easily in the library because she was engaged in her usual activity. Engulfed with a feeling of déjà vu because it all felt as if it was still 1962, he was reminded of his first night in the mansion where he also saw her reading at that exact location. She had not really aged all that much since that time as well, and he reckoned it could be attributed to her healing abilities. Similarly, like that very day in time, she was so engrossed in the book that she never once looked up while he stood at the doorway. He wasn't sure what to say or do, and he simply remained where he was, staring at her.

"Hey, it's you again. How's it going man? What's with the goofy helmet and cape?" a familiar voice echoed as a quick blur whizzed past him. He turned and saw that it was Peter, the young mutant who had rescued him from the Pentagon the year before.

Before he could reply to Peter's greeting, Peter sped away saying, "Got to go for class, can't chat. Bye."

"Erik?" he heard her ask, her voice filled with surprise that he was actually at the library instead of in Charles' study.

He turned back and looked at her. She smiled and walked towards him then, and it really felt as though everything in the last twelve years hadn't happened, as if time had indeed stood still in 1962. His heart actually started beating faster, the way it usually did in those days after he realised that he had fallen for her.

"I'm sorry I haven't kept in touch for so long," he started to apologise.

She didn't say a word in response but only embraced him tightly, not caring if anyone else walked down the hallway and saw them. They held onto each other for some time, and she eventually broke the silence by saying, "Do you have some time? Let's catch up elsewhere, where there's more privacy. I don't wish to alarm the students unnecessarily by speaking here. I think Charles did inform them previously that you do visit from time to time for diplomatic discussions with him, but they don't know about us."

He nodded and she held onto his hand and led him to her room.

When they were alone, she told him about everything that went on in her life since the last time that they had met, and he did the same. He also mentioned that he had seen Lorna, and upon seeing that their child was blissful living with a foster family, he just left things as they were, as per his promise to her.

"Thank you for remembering and for keeping that promise." She said.

"She looks like you. I'm not sure about what her mutation is though." He said, and she laughed at that.

"You haven't really changed from the past, Erik." She said, referring to that question he had posed to her in the early days which had changed things between them.

"She has your powers. I made Charles check on her once using Cerebro." She continued in a more serious tone.

That knowledge actually made him smile. He felt proud to know that his daughter had the same abilities as him. At that point, a part of him ached because he couldn't be a proper father to her, to train and nurture her to be able to control and manipulate metal the way he had learnt to do so, because of the choices in life that he had made.

"Will Charles be recruiting her for the school?"

"No, unless she needs help with her powers. In that situation, Charles may pay a visit to her and ask if she wishes to enrol. I will not reveal to her my true identity if and when that day comes. There's no need to over-complicate her life since she is happy."

He didn't know what to say to that because he wasn't sure which was the better option: joining his Brotherhood or Charles' school. It was plausible that he would be a better teacher than Charles because he had the exact same powers as Lorna, but he knew that Charissa preferred the peacefulness and nurturing atmosphere of the school.

She seemed to sense his internal dilemma and squeezed his hand gently, before saying, "If Charles ever needs your help to train her, we will look for you. The school would be better for her because she is still young. If she ever decides that she subscribes to the same beliefs practised by the Brotherhood, she is free to join your team."

"I feel remorseful for not being a proper parent to her. I wanted to be a father, and even a husband but circumstances prevented that. I'm sorry for everything that had happened."

"It's all in the past. I've never held that against you, and I think it was for the better that I had left the Brotherhood then. Our child has had a better childhood than both of us could have offered to her. Her foster parents have accepted her mutation and love her unconditionally. She is very happy and contented with her life. She also seems to be controlling her powers fairly competently for a twelve-year old."

Her reply made sense and he wasn't sure how to respond again. She seemed to have matured in the past year and everything that she said stirred up a lot of emotions within him. It was as though he had failed her as well, because he never kept all his previous promises to her.

Seeing him remain silent, she continued speaking, "You left without a word after that night when you visited me. I've really missed you. I know that you had met Charles two weeks ago, and I was actually outside his study room that day but I wasn't sure if I should interrupt you two. I thought you would prefer not to see me.…"

"I'm sorry. I missed you too. I wasn't sure what would be better for you and I wanted to focus on rebuilding my team since you were not keen to join me. I thought that since so much time had passed after we left Washington, that maybe you would like to move on with your life. We can't go back to how things used to be, and we want different things in our lives. So I was trying to let go of you as best as possible."

She sighed and said with some tears falling from her eyes, "Sometimes I wish that Cuba never happened. Things were simpler back in those days. I am getting used to being alone now though, but I still care for you. If you're happy, I would be happy for you as well. Would winning your war satisfy you?"

He touched her face gently then, wiping away the tears and he brushed her hair back with his hand like he used to.

"Knowing that you're safe would satisfy me." He replied truthfully as he embraced her again.

They spent the rest of the afternoon talking in her room, and he promised to see her whenever he had the time. However, because she did not want to end up pining for him each day, she told him to refrain from making such promises.

"Let's just take it one step at a time, without promising when or where to meet. We'll see each other again at some point I'm sure. You don't have to see me whenever you have your discussions with Charles either. If it's meant to be, it will happen. I don't want to have any expectations of you. It's so that neither of us will be disappointed."

He had no choice but to agree, and as he kissed her goodbye before he left, he told himself that he would make the effort to see her although she would not expect him to visit often. It was the least he could do, and he really wanted to be with her whenever possible. He didn't know what to make of this new relationship with her, but would do as she advised, to take things slowly, and see where it all leads them.


	11. Chapter 11

_**1984, At the X-Mansion**_

After a meeting with Charles to discuss some mutant issues, he was informed by Charles that Charissa was going back to England for a year to further her studies. He was outraged. He didn't know whether it was anger because she had not bothered consulting him or her blatant disregard for her own safety, or maybe he was feeling a tinge of hurt that his views didn't matter to her. He only knew with certainty that he had to speak with her on this.

His anger was apparent to Charles even with his helmet on. He supposed it was because the metal in Charles' study started rattling as soon as Charles finished breaking the news to him.

"Calm down Erik." Charles tried to say in his most soothing voice.

"Has she no fear or concern for her own safety?" he found himself ranting.

"She's no longer a child Erik. We can't protect her forever. She's been staying in the mansion for more than a decade since we rescued her from Trask, and I'm sure she's feeling restless. Her dreams had always been to study more Literature and European History. If not for Raven's request back in the past, after I'd finished studying at Oxford, Charissa wouldn't have left England to be back here. I guess if not for that, she wouldn't have met you either. Anyway, her control of her powers has improved by leaps and bounds. I'm confident that she will be able to protect herself this time."

"I'll speak with her." He said resolutely, ignoring everything that Charles had said.

"You know that she can be stubborn…so please, control your anger when you do speak with her. I do not want both of you to fight. And there are the students to think about too. They know that whenever you visit the mansion, it's on diplomatic terms. If you fight with her, that might negate what I've been assuring the students." Charles tried reasoning with him, but he wasn't listening. In his own mind, all he wanted was to speak with her, to try to talk her out of that reckless decision.

He stormed out of Charles' study and walked towards her bedroom.

She smiled at him when she opened the door but he couldn't bring himself to smile back. At that moment, she then knew that he must have heard about her study plans, and sighed aloud.

"You're here to talk about me going back to England aren't you?" she asked as she led him into the room.

"I am worried about your safety." He managed to say without adding in the other words of antagonism that were originally in his mind.

"I can take care of myself. I discussed this with Charles and he thinks I have better control of my powers now too. I need to do this Erik. I tried a semester of courses via correspondence and it's just not the same. I really want to be there to finish up my Masters and work towards a PhD."

"I'll go with you." He said without any thought.

She frowned at him then.

"Seriously Erik. Do not joke with me. I'll be there for a year. Are you going to tell your Brotherhood that their leader is going on sabbatical leave for a year?" she asked sarcastically.

He knew from the tone of her voice that she was starting to get mad at him.

"It's only for your protection, especially since what happened to you at Trask Industries." He tried to reason.

"That was when I was in my twenties. I am _forty-four_ now." She said with much emphasis on the words "forty-four".

He was going to say something about that but she cut him off, "Besides, you do not have any right to say what I can or should do. We rarely see each other, only once or twice a year, whenever it suits you. Based on conventional dating standards, you're not even considered as my boyfriend."

That comment annoyed him. "So what am I to you?"

"The same as what I am to you. Do not make me say it, and do not tell me what to do. I'm not one of your minions in your team. And I'm not going to be sitting around here forever waiting for you either. I have my own life, my own goals to pursue. The same as how you're pursuing your goal. You won't give it up for me, so don't expect me to do that for you too." She spat out angrily.

His blood was boiling by then and he no longer cared if the students in the school could hear them.

"Everything that I'm doing is for your own good!" he yelled and he could feel his powers drawing in all the metal that was in her room.

"Well, screw that you selfish bastard. You've been relying on that dumb excuse for too long." She screamed back.

"I've been living and working in this mansion for the past ten years and I want to do something else with my life. You're out there fighting for a cause you believe in and so is Charles. I have my own dreams to fulfil. Although I don't look old to all of you, I feel old and I want to live my life a little more. What's your real purpose in keeping me locked up here anyway? I'm not your plaything or pet that you visit now and then because you have spare time in your busy schedule. I'm sick and tired of hanging around here just because you think I should. I want to meet more people as well, and learn more about the subjects that I love."

"What do you mean by wanting to meet more people?" he couldn't help but sound jealous and possessive when he said that.

Obviously, his question infuriated her more. "Don't do this Erik. I don't go into a hissy fit whenever you go on your recruitment drive and meet some young female mutants do I? And it's not as if I won't fall for anyone else just because I continue staying here as mandated by _Magneto_. There's Hank here who's my age as well. And Charles does recruit older mutants too."

He couldn't help but scoff at that, "Hank? He wouldn't dare." He knew that beneath the scary looking beast, Hank was harmless and would rationally think twice before stepping on his toes. Hank would definitely not make any advances on her.

"Dare to do what? Make a pass at me? Aren't you feeling cocky? I am not yours Erik. Seeing and screwing me once or twice a year does not make you my boyfriend. If you behaved more like a boyfriend, maybe I would respect you as one and take your views on this more seriously. I am going to England and there's nothing you can say or do to stop me. You're not going with me either. "

"I have my ways of preventing you from going." He started to threaten her.

"Whatever metal shite that you are going to use on me, I can remove or block using my powers as well. So fuck off." She started yelling back at him.

At that moment, a psychic image of Charles appeared in her room.

"Erik, Charissa, please calm down and stop arguing. There are impressionable young children living in these premises as well. I do not want them to fear that they are being attacked by you Erik. If you insist on showing your rage like this, I'm afraid that I'll have to ask you to leave."

He didn't feel less angry but observed that she instantly calmed down and apologised to Charles. Then she turned towards him and said coolly, "I don't wish to continue this conversation with you Erik. Please go. I wish to be alone."

He left, still feeling very unsettled by the argument he had with her.

She was right to insinuate that their relationship in the past ten years had not been a conventional one, and he really had not been a proper boyfriend to her even though he still thought of himself as one. He visited her on her birthday and on Christmas as well, but that wasn't enough obviously. The first five years she appeared grateful and happy to see him, but he could sense that she became more restless as time went by, and he personally could understand why she wanted to further her studies. It was just that he would prefer if she continued living in the mansion and found some other means to study as well without having to leave the premises. It was incredibly selfish of him, he knew that, but he couldn't help himself.

He was also starting to feel his age, his hair had turned all white in the past decade and even Charles had lost all his own hair. Looking at her, who seemed to be stuck at the age of thirty, made him protective of her. He found it difficult to accept that she was now not only older but also capable of taking care of herself.

He tried to talk himself out of wanting to control her, or even to follow her to England. He really needed to let go…it was either that or to give up his own goals. Maybe they just needed time apart again.


	12. Chapter 12

Their quarrel over her studying in England ended up with her emerging as the victor. Stubborn as a mule, she went ahead with her plans and he found himself flying to England to visit her often, at least once a month. He decided to swallow his pride and made peace with her just before she had left. Hence, she wasn't taken aback when he first showed up at her flat in Cambridge.

Her course mates mistook him for her father, which annoyed him greatly at the beginning but he was appeased when she introduced him as her boyfriend. He knew that he was starting to look a lot older than she, but she was not the least bothered by appearances. At that moment, he was also glad that telepathy was not his mutant ability, so he wouldn't have to know what her peers thought of him. She joked with him once and said that they probably thought he was an old professor that she was screwing for extra credit.

He liked seeing how she was exultant; studying the things she loved rather than bother about mutant-human equality rights. She told him that she felt normal and even carefree again, and also that there was a sense of serenity whilst being a student at her alma mater where everyone was more preoccupied with studying than engaging in politics or rights movements. He too felt the same way as she did (but not once did he admit that to her), and it felt idyllic just walking with her on campus discussing non-mutant related subjects. Being with her in England was like going on a holiday, and he felt relaxed and less uptight.

One year passed very quickly and she was soon back at the mansion, writing her thesis in her spare time so she could get the PhD that she so wanted.

Because he was used to being openly affectionate with her in the past one year, he could not help but show the same affection even when they were walking on the grounds of the mansion. It startled many of Charles' students unfortunately and he felt amused by it as strange as it seemed. He observed that she didn't really care what the students thought.

He recalled an incident when he was simply holding her hand and walking her from the gazebo back to the mansion when they ran into Scott Summers, a young man who had optic blasts in his eyes.

Scott's face turned beet red and he stuttered while greeting her, "Good er… evening Miss Xavier…err…. Ma..Mag…erm Mr Lehnsherr."

It was obvious that Scott had difficulty in deciding whether to refer to him as Magneto or Mr Lehnsherr.

Charissa merely smiled at Scott, and wished him "Good Evening" as well in reply.

When the young man had gone, she burst into giggles.

"He looked so freaked out by you."

"I can be intimidating," he couldn't help but grin playfully as he said that.

"You've met Scott in the course of your work?" she asked, referring to his run-ins with the X-team as part of work.

He noticed that she had compartmentalised his team's fights with her brother's as "work" whereas his and her relationship as a separate matter altogether. She never participated in any of the actual skirmishes Charles and him were involved in, and he figured she just didn't want to see or be part of the fighting. It wasn't as if either team was attacking each other, just that Charles tended to interfere with most of his plans where humans were likely to be part of the collateral damage (and Charles liked to think of his role as protecting the innocent humans). He personally had been more controlled in his attacks as well, and tried to make the focus of his team surround the stopping the oppression of mutants. Never wanting to admit that it was partly because of her, he rationalised that the change in approach meant less harm to his own team.

"Yes, I've met Cyclops."

"Do you like referring to every mutant by using their code names? Have you ever thought of one for me though?"

He couldn't help but laugh at her comment.

"Some in my team tend to think of their original birth names as 'slave names'. And no, I'm not good at such things. Raven was the one who'd thought of my own name."

Her countenance fell at the mention of her sister.

"Have you seen her since Washington D.C.?"

"No, am afraid I haven't. Charles didn't bother looking for her using Cerebro?"

"No, he doesn't wish to invade her privacy. Especially since the initial purpose for which he had used Cerebro to track her down has been fulfilled and hopefully the bleak future averted. We haven't heard from Logan since 1973, so we can only assume that the future has changed to a better one. Raven has been sending me birthday cards all this while but from various locations so we can't tell where she is."

"And I'm guessing that you don't share the same sentiments as Charles about privacy."

"I just want to see her and speak with her again. You know that I've always been closer to her than to Charles. Can you help with this, Erik?"

"I'll help you locate her. Don't worry about it Charis." He promised.

Now that he knew that seeing Raven again was something that she had wanted for some time, he put in his utmost effort into locating the shapeshifter who didn't want to be found. It wasn't as mammoth a task as he initially thought, and within two months he managed to locate Charissa's sister with the help of two of the mutants in his team.

Raven was now a slightly older version of her blonde human form and she looked displeased to see him.

"Why are you here Erik? You're not here to kill me again are you," she asked sarcastically, referring to his previous attempt on her life in Paris decades ago.

"I'm here because of Charissa. She asked me to help locate you, because Charles didn't want to do that."

Her expression softened at the mention of her siblings.

"How are they? Charissa especially…. Has she regained all her memories?"

"They are both well. Charles had helped Charissa heal her mind once they returned from Washington. She's working at Charles' school now, teaching young mutants how to control their powers. She misses you and wishes to see you again."

Raven sighed then. "Yes I know I should visit them at some point. It's been a while. I don't know if I can recognise them."

"You recognised me…and I look very much older."

"I recognised your helmet and cape. Nobody else would don such a pompous outfit." She scoffed.

"I suppose you wouldn't want to join either of us? Charles and I could use your help in our efforts."

"Firstly Erik, I do not trust you since you last tried to kill me. So no, don't count on me helping you out anymore. Secondly, the only reason why I have not attacked you when you entered my home is because of Charissa. I don't know what she sees in you, and from what I know of my sister, I would believe that she's still in love with you. The fact that she's asked you for help and you've obliged readily, demonstrates to me that you do care for her in some way, just that you're too selfish to sacrifice anything else for her. It's been so many years, how long do you intend to keep her waiting for you? She's a mutant but not immortal. We all grow old and die. Don't you even wish to spend some peaceful time of your life just being with her without caring about the silly battles around, to just love and cherish her before you both die?"

Raven always had a way with words. She knew what cut him deep and would kick him where it hurts the most.

He didn't want to talk about that anymore.

"Will you go back to the mansion? Just to see Charissa again."

"Yes I will. You can tell her that I'll be back soon, but only for a visit. You know that you can't avoid the inevitable Erik. If you wait any longer, it may all be too late, and you will be full of regrets at how time just passed so quickly."


	13. Chapter 13

True to her word, Raven returned to the mansion to visit her siblings and Charissa was thrilled to see her sister again. He wasn't present that day, but Charissa informed him about it and thanked him when he went over. Even Charles had expressed his gratitude to him.

Slightly less than a month later however, he was surprised to hear from Charles, who had left a message with one of his team members that he was to contact the mansion as soon as possible. Fearing that something bad had happened to Charissa, he quickly went to the mansion as soon as he received that message.

He met Charles in his study.

"I received your message Charles. Is Charissa all right?"

"I'm sorry to contact you like this and worry you excessively. Charissa is physically ok but she's very upset by something that's happened recently and I thought I should let you know."

"Ok. What has upset her?"

"Remember Peter the hyper-fast mutant who had assisted in your Pentagon prison break?"

"Yes, I know that he's teaching at your school now after joining as a student… Has it been more than a decade? I have met him again at the mansion several years ago when I was over for a discussion with you."

"As you know, Raven visited several weeks back. She then indicated to Charissa that Peter looks exactly like you when you were that age. Raven went on to suggest that you two could be related and Charissa approached Hank for DNA testing. I am not sure about the details but Hank has informed me that she had provided him with yours and Peter's DNA samples. She was shocked by the results and has gone into a kind of seclusion since. Somehow she made Hank swear not to tell a soul but I persuaded him to let me know for her sake. She has taken leave of absence from teaching at the school and doesn't seem to be eating or sleeping properly. She also refuses to engage in any conversation with me except for that one-time request for leave. It's quite troubling. If Raven was still around, I'm sure she would confide in Raven."

"What do the results say? I can't possibly be the boy's father! I haven't been with any other woman except for Charissa and my late wife Magda."

"I'm afraid that the results do show that you are Peter's father. Hank said that there's no mistake in that and he's checked it several times. Only Hank, Charissa and I know about this. Peter hasn't been informed."

"That's not possible…." His voice drifted off and he tried to think of whether there could be any remote chance otherwise.

He had found out about Magda's death a few years after she fled from him, after Anya had died. The year of her death was just a year after Anya's. Could it be that when she had run from him, after he demonstrated his powers in front of her the night of Anya's death, that she was already pregnant? It was a bitter memory for him, to see the fear on his loved one's face just minutes after losing his child.

He found himself asking Charles, "How old is Peter exactly?"

Charles informed him of Peter's exact date of birth. He did the mental calculation and his suspicions made sense. It must have shown on his face, because Charles then asked, "He is your son isn't he?"

"Yes…. But I never knew. He's Magda's and my son. Based on his date of birth, Magda had died shortly after childbirth. She had run away after realising that I was a mutant, immediately after our daughter Anya had been killed in a fire. She never told me that she was pregnant at that time." He said feeling some bitter irony, and especially so after realising that all the women in his life seem to be repelled by him in one way or other, and always chose to leave him in that same manner as clichéd as it sounded.

"Peter has a twin sister as well. Her name is Wanda. You have two children that you never knew of. Charissa has met her once. I think you need to explain to her the circumstances then, because I fear that she's jumping to conclusions about the entire situation and not being able to talk about it with anyone is making her extremely distraught."

"I have a daughter?" he asked aloud as he sighed at the gravity of the information. No wonder Charissa had been torn by this. Having two seemingly illegitimate children was troubling.

"I'll go speak with Charissa. Thanks for informing me about this Charles."

He went to her room after the conversation with Charles and knocked on her door.

She opened it and scowled at him. He thought that she looked paler than usual, as if she had been locked away from the sun for some time.

Before he could say anything, she asked him rudely, "What do you want Erik?"

"Charles told me about your behaviour and about Peter. May I come in please?"

Still looking indignant, she led him into her room.

"So Hank has informed Charles about you sowing wild oats." She said sarcastically but with an unreadable expression.

"There have only been two women in my life, you and Magda. I didn't realise Magda was pregnant when she left me shortly after our daughter Anya's death. Charles told me Peter's date of birth and it tallies with the year Magda passed away. She died a few weeks after the birth of Peter and his twin sister."

Charissa looked visibly relieved after hearing that, and she asked in a more reasonable tone, "Now that you know, what are you going to do about this?"

He pondered for a moment.

"What do you think I should do?"

She was surprised that he was consulting her on such a matter, but she obliged him by replying, "Speak with him and let him know. He's thirty now, that's old and mature enough. He told me some time ago that his mother used to know someone with your powers. That was what his aunt had told him when he was younger. He never knew his mother, she died shortly after he and Wanda were born. His aunt and uncle raised him and Wanda like their own children. Wanda is working for the Avengers now. Peter introduced her to me once when she visited him at the mansion."

What she said about Peter telling her about Magda rang a bell in his mind. Peter had made the same comment to him the day of the Pentagon break-out. He remembered thinking about whether he knew Peter's mother but before anything else had made sense, he was face to face with Charles who punched him in anger. And that thought was brushed aside quickly.

"Should I tell him about the DNA testing? Would he be offended?"

"Yes you can tell him about that. He knows I was using his blood sample for DNA testing. Just that he didn't know that I was matching it with yours. I only indicated that I was helping Hank with some experiments. And I didn't take your blood when you were sleeping. Unlike you, I'm not good with medical syringes, especially not when the subject is asleep. I just used the hair that's on your pillow the last time you stayed over. Sorry to creep you out in any way. I wanted to know why he always reminded me of you."

"Don't worry I am not easily shocked. I will tell Peter in the best way possible later, before I leave the mansion. What about Lorna then? Should we be telling her about her parentage as well? Or shall we just remain as status quo, like what we discussed previously."

Charissa sighed at that question, and looked as though she had thought through that at great length in the past week.

"Yes we should tell her but we'll probably have to wait for an opportune moment. Charles said that Lorna would be joining his team next month. I initially wanted to just pretend that I didn't know her, but I met her briefly when she came over to check out the school. I nearly cried upon seeing her. It was more emotional than I expected, and it would be difficult for me to continue to lie to her about my relationship with her. She does resemble me when I was that age. She's twenty-two…That's the same as me when I met you." She said wistfully.

He smiled at that old memory of her, and Raven's previous words about how he would regret at letting time fly by struck a chord in him.

Holding onto Charissa's hand, he said gently, "Just do whatever you think is right for Lorna and I will support you. I'm sorry about so many things that had transpired between us, and also for keeping you waiting like this. Time had passed quickly, but the last year in England has been good. I enjoyed being with you alone there. I hope to do more of that. Please give me more time to just sort out a few more things with the Brotherhood, and I will be with you after that. It will just be the two of us. No more fighting or wars, just two of us living together."

There were tears in her eyes after he had said that, and she couldn't think of what to say but simply embraced him tightly.


	14. Chapter 14

"So you're my old man…"

That was all Peter had said and with a strange expression on his face, after he finished explaining the situation personally to the young man in the library of the X-Mansion.

"Yes."

"And how did Charissa manage to persuade you to provide her with your blood for the DNA testing?"

Peter always had a knack for asking strange questions at inappropriate moments, he thought.

"I wasn't aware that she was conducting such tests and no, she didn't use my blood," he said, which he immediately wished he had clarified further when he saw the look of disgust on Peter's face.

"You mean she used some _other _sample?" the younger man had interrupted.

"Hair. She used hair, and not whatever it is that you're thinking of."

There was a silly grin on Peter's face at that moment.

"She's really something you know? I used to wonder what in the world she saw in you. You two are seeing each other aren't you? And I hear since the1960s? Even before I broke you out of prison?"

He wasn't sure what the purpose was behind Peter's questioning, and simply decided to reply concisely to all those queries.

"Yes."

"Are you going to marry her?"

"At some point I suppose."

"So she's going to be my step-mom."

"If we marry, yes."

Peter then nodded, and said, "You know I'm not surprised that you're my father. Deep inside I probably guessed it ages ago. We have similar tastes. I wanted to marry her too once. She turned me down."

That confession shocked him (and he thought nothing would surprise him, especially not at this age when he had seen and experienced so many things) and he couldn't think of anything to say except to just stare at his son. Charissa certainly had not mentioned that to him.

It was at that moment that he really looked at Peter's appearance, and found the similarities to himself when he was thirty. Peter had indeed grown up from the wayward boy that he remembered him to be in the 70s.

"Don't look so surprised, _father_. You weren't exactly a proper boyfriend to her until recently. I only knew that you visited her once or twice a year? So at most, you two were fuck buddies to all of us. She deserves better and I really like her. She's always nice to me, and we can talk about anything. Yea, she's older, but you've gotta admit she doesn't look her age. Anyway that was several years ago. I only told her that I liked her, and asked her if I stood a chance. She said she never felt anything more for me than a friend, so I guess she was still foolishly in love with you. I've moved on from that. I don't know if Charissa mentioned to you, but I'm engaged to someone now, her name is Crystal and we'll probably be married next year."

He nodded. Charissa did inform him about Peter's life thus far, to help him in his conversation with his son.

"You do know that I have a twin sister Wanda as well don't you? You'll need to speak with Wanda as well about this. All that we've known about our father was that he and our late mother split up before she knew about her pregnancy, and he could manipulate metal. She told that much to our aunt before she died. I wasn't sure if the mutant mentioned was you or some relative of yours when I first met you. Remember how I asked you that question but somehow we both were distracted by the Professor, and yup, the guards who stormed into the kitchen?"

Oh yes, that memory was vividly etched in his mind.

"Yes I know about Wanda. It may be better for you to be around when I meet her as well."

"Sure, of course I will be there. I don't want to freak her out unnecessarily. So where do we go from here? You don't seem like the sort who would want to do father-son bonding."

"I don't really know, but I guess we can try to be friends first… Your mother and I had another daughter Anya, but she died at the age of three. We parted after Anya's death so I don't really know what it's like to be a proper father." His mind started wandering at that point, to Lorna. He thought about whether it would be appropriate to tell Peter about his half-sister, and then thought against that. That piece of information could wait.

"You do realise that it's hard to be friends with someone from an opposing team. Charissa is only a teacher at the school and not part of the X-team so her situation is different. But, I am a fighting member, and I've come to blows with your Brotherhood."

"Why don't we just try to be civil with each other when we interact on a social basis?"

"Hey, I am civil. I still say hi to you don't I? Ok, but I get your drift. Why don't we just take this father-son thing one step at a time… I'll invite you to my wedding since you're my father, but we won't do the bonding rubbish for now." Peter rattled on in his usual impatient manner.

"Yes, that sounds like a feasible plan."

"And I'll arrange for us to meet with Wanda too. She's married to one of her colleagues in the Avengers in case you didn't already know. Just let me know your schedule and we can fly to Washington to see her at a time and date which suits all of us. She's based there for the time being."

"Thank you Peter."

"Don't mention it. Do I have to call you 'father' though? That might take some getting used to."

"I'll leave that to your discretion."

And the conversation ended at that.

It didn't go too badly he thought. Just that he still felt slightly rattled that his own son was infatuated with his girlfriend and she never once said a word about it.

They were both still in the library and Peter was about to take his leave when Charissa walked in.

"I'm sorry! Did I interrupt anything?" she apologised looking very embarrassed.

"No, no…we've finished. Mags has confessed that he's my dad and I've accepted my fate as such." Peter told her teasingly and with a glint of mischief in his eyes.

He tried not to cringe at the nickname given to him by his child, which was not surprising given Peter's character. But he felt annoyed that his son was still attempting to flirt with Charissa, and in front of him.

Charissa was oblivious to it, and replied with a smile, "That's good to hear Peter. You'll be contacting Wanda as well, and arranging a meet-up for your father?"

"Yes of course. But I'm doing all this more for you, than for him all right? I know it's you who'd put him up to this. Anyway I have to go now. Talk to you again Charis."

He tried not to stare at Peter for using the same abbreviation of her name that he thought only he used.

After Peter had sped off, she turned towards him and said, "That went well didn't it Erik?"

"Yes. He said he carried a torch for you once? You never told me that."

"I didn't think it mattered. Does it bother you so?"

"I'm just…surprised…"

She shrugged. "He was young then, and we got along. Nobody knew of your relationship at that time. We all just brushed it off as a one-off crush, and he knows how I feel about you. Anyway, he's moved on and will be getting married soon. I'm happy for him."

He nodded in acknowledgment and said, "Thanks for encouraging me to speak with him. Let's just hope that with Wanda and Lorna it'll be smooth as well."


	15. Chapter 15

He came face to face with Logan again ten years later in 1995. The feisty mutant had a new name "Wolverine" and Wolverine had no memory of him. He much preferred Wolverine to the former Logan because it was much easier to manipulate Wolverine due to his new adamantium-laced skeleton.

He wanted to laugh at that, remembering his former words and suggestion in 1973 after Logan had showed him his bone claws.

Charles was displeased at how he kept bullying Wolverine as a result and even said a few words to him, dropping Charissa's name in a subtle bid to stop him from taking advantage of the metal in the X-Men's newest member.

"He has amnesia and a lot of pent-up rage because of the experiments that were conducted on him. His anger is quite similar to yours when I first met you, so you should be able to empathise. He is not fitting well with the rest of the team as a result. The metal inside of him suits your purposes but you should stop bullying him excessively. I am trying to help Logan the same way I helped Charissa piece back her memories. Charissa has also been assisting him to cope with the emotional drawbacks. He has accepted her friendship so please do not say or do anything that would hinder our efforts."

"He doesn't remember us because of the time-travelling, and not because of his current amnesia, am I right?"

"Yes."

"I find this particular mutant exceptionally amusing. And once he decides to stop being so stupid to attack me specifically in our run-ins, I'll end my so-called bullying."

Charles looked exasperated with his reply but refrained from saying anything else.

Subsequently, he decided to drop in at the mansion to visit Charissa. He felt guilty now and then because of his promise ten years ago about dropping everything for her after winding up his leadership role at the Brotherhood. It wasn't that he didn't want to fulfil the promise, but he couldn't find a suitable replacement for himself. In his desperation, he had even tried asking his son Peter if he was interested.

Peter's reply was brutally honest, "What kind of fucked up question is that? In case you forgot, my dear father, I am on the good guys' side, and don't wish to become a terrorist. This is not some fantastic legacy that you can pass on to your children. Please do not approach Wanda on this. I don't want her to be unnecessarily upset by you. The last time she was told about her unfortunate heritage, she couldn't sleep for several nights. My sister is more forgiving by nature but she has a weaker emotional constitution than me."

Indeed, Wanda had burst into tears upon his confession to her about her parentage but she acknowledged it readily and even addressed him as father, which secretly pleased him. Charissa had followed the two of them to Washington but elected to sit out of the meeting with Wanda. It was nice to know that Charissa was supporting him by being there, but Peter's constant flirting with her truly pissed him off. He knew that his annoyance goaded Peter on further and so he had to muster all his strength and energy to simply show a poker face to the younger mutant.

While pondering the entire reconciliation episode, he noted that whilst he was ready to meet and speak with his two children, Charissa on the other hand was rather reluctant to do the same with Lorna. In fact, she procrastinated even though Lorna had joined the school two weeks after he had first spoken with Peter. She was afraid because Lorna appeared to have a stubborn streak in her, and she also couldn't decide whether he should be present during the reconciliation.

Finally, she managed to summon up enough courage within her to talk to Lorna on her own, a whole month after he reconciled with Wanda. She must have known or guessed their daughter's nature well, because Lorna was extremely angered by the revelation.

He had gone to the mansion to wait in her room while she spoke with Lorna. When she finally returned, her eyes were red and she was visibly upset.

"It didn't go well?"

"No. Lorna is angry and said that we were both selfish for destroying her happiness because she was content with her life and her foster family. She even asked how she was supposed to interact with you now that she knows who you are. We are not to tell anyone else about this because she doesn't want to deal with the type of 'shit' others may associate with her parentage. I tried explaining to her the purpose behind it, that it was obvious because she resembled me save for the hair colour and she has your powers, so it was better for her to hear it from me rather than find out on her own. That explanation angered her further. She felt that even if it appeared obvious, realistically she would never find out more because she wouldn't be arsed to do DNA testing. Now, I don't even know why I told her about this."

"It's good to tell the truth, is it not?"

"She is right to say that there's a selfish purpose behind it…. Maybe I wanted her to avoid direct confrontations with you…. When you guys meet officially on the battle field that is…."

"Don't blame yourself….you did your best….so let's see how everything turns out from here. I won't say anything to her in the meanwhile. It's fine with me even if she doesn't acknowledge me as her father."

She only sighed at his response and he checked in on her daily from then, to just see if there had been progress in her relationship with Lorna.

He even asked Charles for his view on this and Charles simply said that Lorna was entitled to those feelings and in terms of public interactions, Lorna was civil with Charissa albeit slightly cold.

Charissa gave up on building up any relationship with Lorna and simply treated her like any other student at the school. He also avoided any direct interaction with the young mutant as far as possible. He noticed that she tended to glare at him whenever she saw him and that tickled him slightly but he refrained from mentioning those incidents to Charissa lest they upset her in any way.

His thoughts of the past were interrupted momentarily when he bumped into Hank while making his way to Charissa's room.

"Good evening Erik. You're here for Charissa? I'm afraid she's busy right now, mentoring one of our latest recruits."

In spite of their fight in 1973, Hank was always polite and he felt obliged to respond accordingly.

"Good evening Hank. Thank you for informing me. I will wait for her in her room."

However, after browsing through several books while waiting, he grew restless and decided to interrupt her wherever she was.

He soon found her talking to Wolverine in one of the discussion rooms. Their backs were facing him and he loitered at the doorway instead of entering, eavesdropping on the entire conversation and trying to control the feelings of jealousy that surfaced.

She was talking gently to Wolverine, sharing her own amnesiac episode and Wolverine's demeanour was one of calmness and serenity (which was surprising to him). That probably stirred up the jealousy because he could not help but wonder how Wolverine felt towards her.

"I know it's not easy not to remember who you once were….but if you open up to Charles, he will be able to help you. Charles was very patient with me when I lost my memories. There is also the pain when you start remembering….because all the bad memories would also return. Unfortunately we can't pick and choose what we wish to remember."

Wolverine laughed at that comment.

"Was remembering Magneto one of those bad memories?" he joked.

She replied without any modulation in her tone, "Yes and no. My relationship with Erik is very complicated…. Which is why I would advise you not to get emotionally involved with anyone until you exorcise the demons in your head."

"You know about…_her_?"

"Yes….it's as obvious as my strange relationship with Erik is to you."

He wasn't sure how to react to that. He was grateful Charissa wasn't the object of Wolverine's affection, though at the same time he wasn't too thrilled to be the subject of their conversation as well.

Wolverine's silence made Charissa advise further, "Don't wait for her either, my friend. I wouldn't wish for you to end up like me, forever waiting…."

"You're waiting for him to come over to our side?"

"He promised me once to give up his war…. that's a decade ago… I'm not doubting his words, he never lies….it's just that sometimes I wonder how much longer I would have to wait…. You may be more patient than I am but in your case, the probability of her ever leaving her husband is almost nil. They are happy together."

Wolverine nodded and said, "I know. I want her to be happy and I respect her decision. If Magneto truly loves you, he will want you to be happy as well... I know that you're listening to us, Magneto. Charissa is a friend of mine, and I hope you will be more mindful of her feelings."

"I should be thankful that you're such a caring friend then." He replied sarcastically as he walked into the room.

"Erik? Have you been waiting long? I'm sorry, I didn't expect to see you today." Charissa said, her face flushed.

"I should apologise for showing up unannounced Charis." He replied before turning towards Wolverine, "And Wolverine, you're leaving now I expect?"

Wolverine only gave a low growl in response and proceeded to walk out of the room while telling Charissa that he will speak with her again the next day.

"You needn't be so rude to him Erik….I'm only trying to help him cope with his amnesia."

"I don't like to be talked about."

"It's not only about you." She said with a sigh and lowered her eyes. He could feel her heartache and disappointment in him.

"I remember my promise to you. It's not that I don't want to fulfil it, but I haven't been able to find a suitable successor. I even tried asking Peter."

"Yes Peter told me. He said you're out of your mind…. You don't have to explain anything else to me… can I please be left alone? Sorry, I feel quite tired and don't feel like talking to you today …"

He obliged her but left the mansion with a heavy heart.


End file.
